Both men pleaded guilty Sept. 30 in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids to two counts of theft of firearms from a licensed dealer. For both men, a third count of being a felon in possession of a firearm will be dismissed at the time of sentencing.

In a second count, they pleaded guilty to stealing eight semi-automatic pistols June 27 from Renegade River Inc., a gun shop in the 100 block of West Savidge Street in Spring Lake.

Cook reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office under which he agreed to cooperate with authorities in their investigation of past crimes. Cook agreed to fully cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Muskegon and Ottawa County prosecutor’s offices, the West Michigan Enforcement Team, Muskegon Police Department, Muskegon and Ottawa County sheriff’s offices, the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety and any other law-enforcement agency.

In exchange, besides the dismissal of count three, the U.S. Attorney agreed not to charge Cook with additional crimes, provided Cook or his attorney disclosed the criminal conduct before the agreement was signed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also agreed to evaluate Cook’s cooperation in deciding whether to ask for a sentence below guidelines.

Sweet does not have a plea agreement.

Sentencing for both was scheduled for Feb. 11 in Grand Rapids. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker is listed as the sentencing judge.

The maximum sentence allowed by law for each count is 10 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and a mandatory special assessment of $100.

Sweet and Cook were originally charged in Muskegon County with a break-in early July 13 at Grasmeyer Guns. A surveillance video and cooperation among multiple local, county, state and federal police agencies led to their arrests. The U.S. Attorney’s Office took the case over in August.

In that case, four rifles and 20 handguns were reported stolen. All of the rifles but only five of the handguns were recovered, according to federal court documents.

After his arrest July 18, Cook put police in contact with a friend with whom he had left four of the stolen pistols, which were recovered. Cook also led investigators to the four stolen rifles, one of the handguns and a number of empty handgun boxes buried under freshly disturbed soil, according to the federal complaint.

Cook admitted to having given the rest of the 24 handguns to various drug dealers in exchange for money and/or heroin, the ATF agent said in the complaint.

John
S. Hausman covers courts, prisons, the environment and local government for
MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at jhausman@mlive.com and follow
him on Twitter.